A 27-year-old man from Maharashtra’s Jalna district died by suicide after being subjected to relentless online harassment over a viral video showing him urinating near a signboard at the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar railway station. The deceased, identified as Mahesh Adhe, was found dead on Wednesday morning in a farm well at Dhokmal Tanda.

Viral video and apology

The controversy began when a clip recorded on October 30 showed Adhe and a friend relieving themselves beneath a yellow signboard with Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar written on it. The footage quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing widespread criticism and outrage.

Realising the gravity of the backlash, both men uploaded an apology video the following day, expressing regret and seeking forgiveness for their act. Despite this, the online abuse did not stop. Adhe reportedly continued to receive threatening messages and calls, which took a severe emotional toll on him.

Assistant Inspector Ganesh Survase of the Ashti Police Station told TOI, “Mahesh was distressed for days as the video clips – first of the act, and later of his apology – continued to circulate on multiple social media accounts despite his requests to stop the trolling.”

Survase added that Adhe had confided in his family about being unable to cope with the constant harassment. “As per the family, faced with relentless trolling, including the latest call received around 6am on Wednesday, Adhe told his cousin and uncle that he could not bear the pressure any longer. He then left home at 6.30 am. After he did not return even by 9.30am, the family members started looking for him, only to find his footwear and mobile phone near the well. His body, with hands tied, was taken out of the well around 11 am,” the officer said.

Case registered against seven individuals

Following a complaint by Adhe’s cousin, Akhilesh, police registered a case late Wednesday under sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against seven people accused of circulating the video and issuing threats.

Jalna Superintendent of Police Ajay Kumar Bansal confirmed the development. “We have registered a case against seven people who allegedly kept issuing threats and trolling Adhe. There is a claim that the latest threat was received by him on Wednesday around 6 am, following which he took the extreme step. We are investigating the matter,” he said.

Political link alleged

Preliminary findings suggest that Adhe and his friend were intoxicated when the video was filmed. Family members told police that despite their apology, several social media pages kept resharing the footage, intensifying the trolling. They further alleged that among those who circulated the videos was a senior Shiv Sena office-bearer from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Protest and investigation

Adhe’s death triggered public outrage, prompting over a thousand people to gather at the Ashti Police Station on Wednesday, demanding swift action against those responsible. Protesters called for the arrest of everyone involved – from the individuals who recorded the video to those who shared it and issued threats.

Police assured the crowd that action would be taken against all the accused. Following the assurance, Adhe’s body was sent for post-mortem, and his final rites were conducted later that evening.

(Suicide is not a solution to any problem. Those struggling with mental health issues are urged to seek help from professionals. The ‘Disha’ helpline offers free counselling and support services. You can call them at 1056 or 0471-2552056.)